Have we missed the dandy in SRK?

“Dad did his thing… I will be so cool on the carpet for my kids, I am going to rock it,” quipped actor Shah Rukh Khan to Teyana Taylor and Ego Nwodim, the two hosts of the Vogue Livestream of the 2025 Met Gala. As promised, SRK — the first male Bollywood actor to have graced the MET Gala —was cool on the starry blue carpet that bedecked the iconic stairs of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, the venue of the annual event that was first held in 1948 to raise benefits for its Costume Institute.

“I am extremely nervous, excited. Sabya here, convinced me to come here. I have not done too many red carpets, I am very shy…” he said, pointing to designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, who designed Khan’s outfit.

Over the years, the annual event has become fashion’s biggest night, as it draws hordes of A-listers who dress to a pre-decided theme. This year, it was Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, to complement the spring showcase for the MET Museum, which spotlights and honours the legacy of Black fashion and Dandyism, which is all about self -expression, often rooted in resistance, flipping conventional Eurocentric notions of male style and masculine imagery on its head.

SRK’s custom all-black ensemble comprised a floor-length coat, a crepe de chine silk shirt, tailored trousers and a shiny satin kamarband, completed with multiple finger rings, stacks of necklaces and chains, including one sporting a giant ‘K’ — a reference to his moniker, King Khan — and, the pièce de résistance, the Bengal Tiger Head Cane, crafted in 18k gold and encrusted with sapphires, tourmalines, old mine cut and brilliant cut diamonds, carrying the animal leitmotif of Sabyasachi’s design universe.

“I wear only black and white… and this is what I am most comfortable in, and that’s how it should be,” SRK told the Vogue anchors, as he broke down the inspiration behind his look.

Not everyone was impressed, and to be fair, it seemed understated compared to some of the others who attended the MET Gala, like playwright Coleman Domingo (who wore a royal blue Valentino cloak, which opened to a patterned suit with a large flower brooch) and rapper Andre 3000 (who arrived with a piano strapped to his back, and carried a purse bag made of trash bag).

But Sabya’s look asserted the power and flamboyance that’s unique to SRK. He knows he is the most powerful person in the Indian film industry, and chooses to be humble and self-deprecatory about it. He wields the cape, and all the trappings that come with it, with grace.

“When you get a man like him (SRK) on the red carpet, especially when it’s Black Dandy, representation is the most important thing. And we wanted to represent Shah Rukh Khan as SRK, and no one else,” shared Sabyasachi, who has also designed outfits for other A-Listers on the red carpet including, Alia Bhatt for her MET 2024 look, and Deepika Padukone for the Cannes Jury in 2022.

Superfine tailoring, in the context of the MET Gala’s theme is to appreciate the legacy of the black designers, who have otherwise not been included in annals of mainstream fashion. It’s also a nod to exquisitely detailed outfits, flawlessly finishing, showing off the wearer’s silhouette.

Was SRK’s look on theme, though? Styled by Shaleena Nathani, the look was slick and classic. The sharply tailored outfit and the fluid silhouette was more classic finesse than the average dandy, but it brought out his inner dandy — one that we may have all actually missed — which is where Sabya scored.

The floor-length coat, in particular, served to enhance SRK’s signature magnetism and charisma. Exquisitely made, lustrous and chic, it was crafted with Tasmanian superfine wool and featured monogrammed Japanese Horn Buttons: detailing that Sabysachi is known for.

The stacked bold jewellery, with many pieces featuring the Royal Bengal Tiger, other talismans and charms was a nod to rapper core, a statement of assertion and celebrating one’s self. The gold framed jazz sunglasses topped up the look perfectly.

One half of designer duo Rimple and Harpreet, Rimple Narula was deeply appreciative of the look, calling it a true expression of SRK’s own style. “King Khan is a global icon with a magnetic personality that truly brings life to whatever he wears. At the Met Gala, he wasn’t trying to make a statement—he was simply being himself, carrying that larger-than-life persona with effortless charm. It’s always special to see someone who has done so much to put India on the global map represent the country with such grace and individuality.”

A soft yin to SRK’s yang, Sabyasachi wore an oversized court jacket, a satin shirt, black quilted trousers and a kamarband. An embellished, feathered black Parsi topi completed the designer’s own bespoke look.

The anticipation for SRK’s MET Gala debut was no less than that of a big Friday release. He answered questions of the often-ignorant photographers and reporters, gently twirled the cape of the long coat, and swaying the bejewelled walking stick. He may have been nervous, but he was in his element.